The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-08-20
A SQUARE MAN.
zrue Story Of . Diamond In
the Rough.


My friend, Thomas T. R., 10 book
keeper in . large manufacturing
establishment in upper New York.
Thomas is one of the 'snicest" little
men that ever seemed to have '.just
stepped from handbook" His char
acter is as white as his shirt front, and
his manifold virtues shining as his
polished No. shoes.
Thomas Is ~ honest, kindly soul as
evT drew breath or pen. and his hatred
of every species Of vulgarity was doubt
less born in him ct the same time with
his ''niceness."
called on Thomas few weeks ago,
and, greatly to my surprise. saw
moving about with every appearance
of being perfectly at home and in en-
joyment Of full confidence, and per-
forming many duties in . crab-like,
awkward. bull-in-a-china-shop sort of .
way, my old, young friend. ''Stumpy,"
the youth who used to ''shine'' my
boots every morning when / lived in
that locality. He was well named by
whoever bestowed upon him that
title; he had stumpy legs. . stumpy
body, stumpy arms, stumpy nose,
and the top of his head looked
Is though. while still warm, it
had been carefully attended by vio-
lent pressure from q stove-plate or some
like level-surface implement. Thomas
T. r shook my hand in mild rapture.
while Stumpy grinned a welcome all
over the back Of his head, and became.
through excitement, more crab-like
than ever in his movements.
I gazed in silent astonishment at this
strange but evidently satisfactory asso-
citation, and waited for time to reveal
the secret.
Time did this-dinner-time. when
accompanied my friend to his bachelor
quarters.
What in the name Of all that is
Mixed" asked, ''are you doing with
that boy in your Officer"
my dear SIR" replied Thomas I. r
-he always commences his little
speeches as formally as he does his let
ters-''that is one of the most remark
able boys Of the century. A rough
diamond, sir, I assure you; still rough.
but = very. very remarkably valuable
diamond, on my honor"
And this is the story l gathered from
the rather long-spun and slightly stilted
recital of my friend:
Despite his detestation of everything
vulgar, Thomas 7. r. was forced, by
sad experience. to acknowledge that
from no bootblack in his vicinity could
he obtain ''shine" of the same reful-
gence and perpetuity as from Stumpy,
and though the appearance of the lad
was revolving to his nicely, and the
language Of the street arab continually
shocked all his ideas Of propriety, still
Thomas 7. R outraged his eyes and his
ears for the sake Of the ''patent-ledder
shine which seemed to come at the
call Of the nimble brushes Of vigorous
Stumpy, as from those of none other of
the craft, and certain degree of inti-
macy was established between the two
very opposite characters.
Stunpy was by no means difident
youth. and soon after feeling satisfied
that his contract was . permanent one
as regarded the blacking Of Thomas T.
RS boots, he began to<1mpress upon
the mind Of the latter his (Stumpy's)
aspirations for ''gittin' ahead"
TIN squar, boss, am" he would
say, IAN yo' kin count on me effry
time. My ole mann she brung me up to
be squar', an amt goin' back ON Ter,
no how. De ole man. he in'tno good,
he amt He's . doin' time up'n de
island, dat's war he is, an de third err
fort err IF time he's been der. He amt
no good. But my ole nam, she's all
dar, she is an I'm squar'. l am, an
done ye fergit it. An say. boss, when
yo' wants fellar roun' ter clean up
an sich. gi's show, won'tchera I'm
rough lookin'. but I'm squar. an
don'tcher forgit it."
anu euon CtuinPy Wouiu shoulder MS
box. pocket his nickel, and swing out
In pursuit IT more business.
Constant contact with the boy recon-
ciled Thomas 7. R to many peculiari-
ties. the continual harping upon the
one desire to git ahead" and his be-
ing ever within call gradually intro
duced him into the Office at other times
than when he was improving the shin
ing hour" and Thomas 7. r., much to
his own surprise, found. after awhile,
that he was delegating to ''Stumpy" the
busting and arranging Of his own
private desk or table, which previously
had been sacred to the attentions Of his
hands only. Stnmpy had. by suf-
frn0ca n enr8or IN thn ~fysn- 49, ~